DM Blog

I came across this documentary about Samuel Formell and Los Van Van via Timba.com. The majority of the film is an interview with Samuel Formell where he talks about, (among other topics), his father’s legacy, his exposure to Los Van Van from an early age, replacing Changuito on drums and how Juan Formell prepared him for ultimately taking over as musical director of the group. There are interviews with César “Pupy” Pedroso, Issac Delgado and Pedrito Calvo, as well as tons of footage of Los Van Van over the years. Check it out:

Personally, I found it interesting when he talked about how he selects new members for the group based on personalities and not just musicianship (there are TONS of great musicians in Cuba to pick from), as well as hearing just how much importance the group places on appealing to their audience. Los Van Van are all about making people dance and Samuel Formell is very focused on that objective!

I’m glad that I got the chance to see Los Van Van Live in Toronto as well as in Cuba while Juan Formell was still alive, but this documentary also made me excited about the future…